Chamber news: Setting examples can make Ruidoso a better place to live

We are consistently offered, not given, opportunities to set examples each day.

Every day we unlock our front door, or open our computers to start our day, is a fresh start, a do over, a repeat as needed moments in your life. Perhaps take a quiet visit with yourself and ask only one question: What is one thing I did yesterday that was to the benefit of others?

Not a rose colored glasses question, but when you give it a moment of thought, your examples that you established yesterday will be remembered far longer than the achievements you have earned to date.

Employee of the year, Past Service Club President, getting a hole in one with your golf friends in witness, hitting a small jackpot on a slot machine, winning a ribbon at an art show, etc. These are all great and valued achievements, and they carry pride, value of accomplishments and they certainly contributed to the exhilarating feeling of personal victory and success.

These are earned victories, no one gave them to you, and you cannot predict when the next achievement is headed your way, but know it will find you.

Examples are not just the lessons we have learned from others, but also the ones we have shared. Examples have no shelf life, no expiration date. They can be as small as opening a door for someone, carrying packages at the post office for someone that could use help, to opening a successful business.

Examples happen on purpose, and you are the architect of each one. Often we do not start the process with the mindset of setting an example, but the result is just that.

Think of examples in a different zone than achievements. Both have their value, risk and reward, but only one has an expiration date in the minds of others.

Let’s focus on the examples we set and by doing so we can make this a better place to live and do business.

Becky Brooks is the Executive Director of the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce.